


Hello, Charlie

by theacedennis



Category: Hello Dolly! - Herman
Genre: Every waiter at the Harmonia Gardens is gay, Gen, Of this I am sure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:39:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25211788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theacedennis/pseuds/theacedennis
Summary: Charlie has never met the woman they're all buzzing about, but he will.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	Hello, Charlie

Charlie had never seen the place like this. The energy was incredible. 

He'd heard of the woman, of course. Everyone talked about her. She hadn't been in for ten years, apparently, but they still all loved her. Even more remarkable, they were still around to remember her all these years later. Admittedly, the turnover at Harmonia Gardens was astonishingly low for a waitstaff. In the two years he had been there, Charlie had only seen one person leave. And he'd never belonged. They all stayed because they had one thing in common. The kind of thing that made them love wonderful, larger-than-life women, but remain eternally unmarried to one. 

So they stayed together. They stayed at the Gardens. Rudolph took care of them. They took care of each other. And it sounded like this woman, this Dolly Gallagher Levi, used to take care of them too. She had an uncanny ability, it seemed, to pick out a certain kind of gentleman and send him here. And thank the heavens that she did. If he hadn't found a place like this, filled with men like him, he shuddered to think what would have happened to him. 

He was set to watch for her. The place usually ran with such precision, they couldn’t spare anyone, but tonight, everything was different. And then he saw it. A carriage fit for Cinderella, though a little less pumpkin-shaped. He heard her laugh before he saw her. It was great and charming. He was curious. Could this woman really be everything they said she was?

Then she stepped out of the carriage.

He’d never seen anyone like her. She was tall and imposing, but most tall and imposing people he knew looked severe, austere. She was all joy. And her dress! He’d never seen anything so fine in his life. Blood red and it suited her perfectly. He had promised Rudolph he would alert him the moment she arrived, but he took one more moment to look at her. She was divine.

He turned to go tell them she was here, but before he could go inside, she shouted, “Go on, darling. Tell them I’ve arrived.” He turned and smiled at her, noticing that her eyes were glistening. Then he ran into the Gardens and down the stairs. 

“Sir! Sir!”

He was promptly scolded not to shout, then it was promptly forgotten as Rudolph realized she was truly there. 

He had never seen Rudolph like this. He was always reserved, always professional, but now he was…there was no other word for it, giddy. As he left to escort the woman in, he heard one of the cooks with similar glee in his voice. Something incredible had changed in the atmosphere. And he couldn’t wait to finally meet this woman.

As he went back outside, the woman was straightening her hair piece and smoothing out her dress. 

“So many old friends,” she said. “But you are new, dear. What’s your name?”

“Charlie, ma’am.” 

“Hello, Charlie. Lovely to meet you. I expect we’ll be great friends.” He escorted her to the entrance. “You go on ahead,” she said. “I’ll make my entrance alone.”

Charlie knew he would do anything the woman asked. She wasn’t just nice, she was kind. She was lovely. She was…Dolly. 

“Sir! Sir!” He shouted over the din of voices. “Rudy!” He yelled. Everyone was silent. “She’s here!"


End file.
